It's Good to be Home
by WriterFreak001
Summary: This is just what I would like to happen at the end of 1x21 "Cliffhanger" without the actual "cliffhanger" part at the end.


**WriterFreak001: **

Just me embellishing another dream I had. :)

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**Title** | It's Good to be Home

**Fandom** | _Scorpion_ (CBS)

**Description** | This one-shot focuses on what I would like to happen in 1x21 "Cliffhanger" without the "Cliffhanger" part in it.

**Rating**| This fanfiction will be rated M for romantic themes and cursing.

**POV** | Limited Third Person

**Disclaimer** | While CBS owns _**Scorpion**_, I am the owner of this masterpiece.

**Claimer** | I am human; there are bound to be mistakes. If you feel like something _should_ be changed, you have the power to send me a review/private message. I can't guarantee if I'll change it every time, but I do read all of my reviews and all of my private messages!

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**It's Good to be Home**

**Written by WriterFreak001**

**One Shot **

**~ S****CORPION ~**

Paige didn't want to leave for Portland, but Drew wasn't giving her much of a choice. She told herself it was only temporary – just something Drew suggested so Ralph's life wasn't endangered again; when she told Drew what had almost happened to Ralph during their most recent case, he went ballistic; telling – no – _demanding _her to leave LA and move to Portland where it was safe. Paige didn't want to leave despite everything that had happened in the last few days; she knew Ralph had learned his lesson, and she also knew Walter was beside himself for accidentally getting Ralph into danger, but she didn't blame him for what had happened. No one could have known her son would skip school and sneak into the back of the van to help with the most recent case. And when she brought that argument up to Drew, he threw it back into her face, saying something along the lines of Ralph possibly doing it again and getting himself killed. And…in that regard, Drew was right. There was no way in telling if Ralph would pull a stunt like that again so she agreed to go to Portland (but only for a few weeks… a month at the most). Her heart was in LA – not in Portland.

Ralph was her most important thing so going to Portland was only a trial to see how Ralph would respond; if she thought he didn't like living in Maine, they would return to LA with or without Drew's involvement in her son's life. She wanted Drew to be involved in Ralph's life, but she wasn't going to make her son miserable only to have his father around. She and Ralph could do without; they've done well without Drew for seven years – she knew they'd be able to manage without him if push came to shove.

After her rather lengthy argument with her son's father, she called Cabe and asked him to watch Ralph for her while she went over to the garage to speak with Walter. She knew she could just call him, but she _needed_ to see him. Even though Cabe screwed up and kept a huge secret from Walter, she still trusted the man because she believed in second chances. While Walter was pissed off as hell at Cabe, she had faith that he'll eventually come around – he just needed time to let everything soak in.

She had been sitting in her car outside the garage for the last fifteen minutes, unsure if she should go inside or not. She needed to talk to him, but she feared what she had to say would only anger him even more; she knew what his thoughts were about Drew and Portland, but she couldn't just leave without telling him first.

Slowly, she wiped away her tears, unbuckled her seatbelt and climbed out of her car before slamming the door and locking the vehicle. She sauntered to the front door of the garage and pushed the door open, knowing Walter hardly ever locks the front door. The only nights he ever locked it was when Ralph was staying over, or when she was staying late working on paperwork. After closing the door, she searched for him in the lower level of the garage, but he wasn't there – meaning, there was only one other place he could be: the loft. Quietly, she ascended the stairs and slipped into the loft where she found him in his bed, staring at the ceiling.

"I thought I'd find you here," she smiled when he jumped to the sound of her voice. She walked over to his bed as he pushed himself forward and hopped off of his bed. He crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow; she could tell he was still angry and hurt and devastated after everything that had happened between him and Cabe as well as to Ralph.

"W-What are you doing here…?" He asked as he looked at his watch. "…at 2 AM no less."

"Is it really that late?" Paige blinked; she hadn't realized how late it was, but the things she needed to say couldn't wait until the morning. "Did I wake you?" She knew she didn't, but she asked anyway.

"No. I was just… thinking; that's all." Walter shrugged and shifted the weight on his toes.

"Is this a bad time?"

"No." He then frowned. "You've been crying."

"Is it that obvious?" she forced a laugh and glanced at the mirror; she forgot to fix her makeup before leaving the car. "Oh. I guess it is."

"Were you crying because of what happened today with Ralph?" Walter's tone was pained and bothered. She knew Ralph's near-death experience was eating him away inside.

"No," she shook her head and gave him a weak smile, "That's not why."

"How is he, by the way?" Walter ran his fingers through his curly hair; his concern for her son always gave her butterflies.

"He's a little shaken up, but he'll be fine. He's learned his lesson so… he won't be skipping school anytime soon." Paige shoved her hands into her pockets. "I want you to know that I don't blame you for what happened with him; no one could have known he would skip school…. So… don't beat yourself over it; it wasn't your fault."

"I should have paid closer attention to him," Walter sat down on the corner of his bed and slumped his shoulders. "It's natural for young geniuses to be curious and eager to help; the first time I found out I could use my IQ to help people, I wanted to hop on a plane to the US right away. I should have told him the kinds of cases Scorpion handles – erm, _handled_ – were dangerous and not suited for geniuses his age. Because I wasn't clearer with him from the beginning, he was almost killed today."

Paige sat down next to him and rested her head on his shoulder. "Trust me, Walter; he knew how dangerous the cases are. I don't know what possessed him to skip school today, and don't worry, he's already had an earful from me," she purposely left out Drew's name…, "but you can't blame yourself for something you couldn't predict. I don't blame you, and Ralph doesn't blame you, so you shouldn't blame yourself either."

"It doesn't matter anyway," Walter sighed and raked his hand through his hair, "Scorpion is done… It's over."

"You can't mean that."

"I do." Walter was so defeated, and Paige wanted to do something – _anything _– to console him. "I started Scorpion to protect enabled minds from Normals and provide a place where geniuses could meet their full potentials. I wanted to help people after what happened in Baghdad, but, as you know, Scorpion was founded on a lie. Cabe _knew _what my software was really for; he _knew_, and because I can't trust him anymore, I'm not going to waste my time working for any government handler again. Cabe is no different from any other Normal out there so why put my company in the hands of someone I can't trust?"

"Walter…," Paige closed her eyes and rested her hand over his, "What Cabe did was wrong; he shouldn't have used you like that, and I understand why you're upset, but… one bad mistake doesn't – or shouldn't – sully the good he's done since then. Because of Scorpion, countless lives have been saved; don't you want to keep helping people?"

"Yeah, but –"

"No buts," Paige cut him off. "If it wasn't for _everyone _involved in Scorpion, including Cabe, Ralph would be dead. And other people would be dead. Maya wouldn't be in Canada right now, expecting a baby, and had you refused to help with the LAX incident, hundreds of lives would have been lost too. All Scorpion does is good. You shouldn't let all of the good things go to waste because of one bad mistake."

"I just don't think Scorpion could work with any other handler; Cabe was the _only _one who actually put his faith in us – I don't think I could trust him again." Walter buried his face into his hands and released a loud groan.

Paige brought her hand to the back of his shoulders and began moving her palm in small circles. "Trust is something the two of you will have to build again; I don't blame you for not trusting him, but he's over at my place right now, watching Ralph." Walter removed his hands from his face and gave her a strange look. Before he could say anything, she continued. "I know what you're thinking, but I trust Cabe with Ralph, and Ralph trusts him too. Do you think I would let him around my son if I didn't trust him?" He didn't answer. "It'll definitely take some time, but… perhaps… it might be best to hear him out. You wouldn't even let him explain his reasons for deceiving you. It might not be all black and white, Walter. So… before you decide to give up on Scorpion… and on Cabe…, just… talk to him. I'm sure he's also beating himself up over Baghdad so… find a way to see things from his side. Okay?"

Walter pulled at his face and sighed. "I don't know if I can hear him out without thinking everything he's saying are lies. It won't be that simple."

"I never said it would be easy, either." Paige gave him a small smile. "If you won't listen to Cabe for yourself, could you do it for me? I told you a long time ago that Scorpion has been the best thing for me and Ralph, and I quit a job to work for you. I know it's asking a lot, but I _need _Scorpion to work…. It's really all Ralph and I have."

Walter inhaled a deep breath of air and released it slowly. "Okay. I'll talk to him, but I can't guarantee favorable results… or restraining myself from clocking him."

Paige smiled. "I wouldn't expect anything less."

They were silent for minutes before Walter finally spoke. "You know, even if… hypothetically… Scorpion is done, it doesn't mean I won't give up on Ralph… or you. The two of you would be welcome over any time."

"That's sweet." Paige's smile grew wider. "Thank you."

"So, um…," Walter bit his lip and scratched the side of his face, "does Drew know… about what happened today?"

The smile on Paige's face faded. "Yes. I told him."

"H-How did he take it?"

Paige withdrew herself from Walter. "Not well."

"Is _he _why you were crying earlier?" Walter asked; Paige detected a note of jealousy and anger in Walter's voice. Jealous and angry of what? She didn't know. She may never know.

"Yeah."

"Was it something he said?"

Paige nodded and sighed. It was now or never. "Assuming Scorpion is still in business, I'm going to need a few weeks – maybe a month – off from work."

"Okay. Why?"

Paige looked at the floor and spoke quietly, hoping what she had to say wouldn't anger Walter. She didn't want to fight with him. "I promised Drew I would bring Ralph to Portland for a few weeks…. It's… only for a few weeks, a month, tops. I tried talking to Drew and telling him we were fine down here, but he was persistent…. So… to make him shut up, I caved and gave into his demands. He's determined that Portland would be good for Ralph, but he doesn't know Ralph like I do. He doesn't know this trip is temporary, and he won't know until we arrive with only suitcases and not all of our belongings."

"Just because you told him you would leave, it doesn't mean you actually have to go…." Walter clearly didn't want her to leave, and she didn't want to leave either, but she didn't really have a choice in the matter.

"It's only for a few weeks, Walter. Just long enough for Ralph to spend some time with his dad. That's all." Paige really hoped Walter wouldn't make things hard for her. She didn't want to leave on a bad note with the man she had fallen in love with. "I promise we'll be back."

"What's the point of having Ralph spend time with his sperm donor if all Drew is going to be doing is practicing and playing baseball during the entire time you're up there?" Walter asked. He _did _have a point. Drew _was _going to be busy with baseball to spend time with Ralph, but still.

"That might be, but I want Ralph to have a good-standing relationship with his father. So… my main reason for going up there is to develop some sort of parenting relationship with Drew…." Paige tried to explain, but she could tell she wasn't reaching through to Walter.

"But Drew doesn't have any custody over Ralph… so why bother?"

Paige groaned and ran her hand through her hair. "This isn't a negotiation, Walter!" She inhaled a deep breath and released it. "I've already made up my mind; I already told you I'm not leaving permanently so why are you making such a big deal about it?" Walter remained silent. "Look," she pushed her bangs back, "if it makes you feel better, I'll plan for one week. One week to give Ralph some time with his dad…, one week for Ralph to adjust after what happened today and one week for me to tell Drew that Ralph and I will be staying in LA. Some things can't be said over the phone so that's why I'm going up there. One week. Can you handle one week?"

Walter sniffed loudly and nodded. "Seven days seems like an eternity, but yeah. Fine. One week."

"Thank you," Paige sighed. "Well," she pushed herself off of the bed, "That's all I really came here for… to ask for some time off… so… I'll be going now."

"If that was all you came here for, why didn't you just call?" Walter raised an eyebrow. He was clearly upset that she was taking Ralph to Portland for a week, but she didn't want to talk about it any further… or press him for answers.

She shrugged. "I wanted to see you…. See how you were doing…."

"Oh. Okay." Walter's face fell. "I guess I'll see you later in the morning then?"

"I'm leaving tomorrow morning…, but I'll bring by Ralph before we hit the road. He'll want to see you guys before we leave." Paige smiled. She wanted to reach out and hold Walter's hand, but she dismissed the idea.

"Okay." Walter's smile was forced.

"Well… I should go." Paige turned to leave when Walter grabbed her hand; she heard the bed spring upward as he rose to his feet. She closed her eyes and felt his breath brush against the back of her neck. He was so close and yet… so far away. She secretly wanted him closer.

"I don't want you to go." His hot breath sent shivers down her spine.

She curled her fingers around his and squeezed his hand but didn't turn around. "It's just for one week, Walter."

"I'm not talking about Portland." Walter's voice was barely above a whisper; his words sent her spinning on her toes to look at him. Their fingers were still entwined. "I mean," he scratched the back of his head, "I also don't want you to go to Portland either, but… yeah, um…, I, uh…, w-well, y—"

Paige chuckled lightly and muttered, "Walter?"

"Y-yeah?"

"Shut up," Paige mumbled as she grabbed his face and kissed him hard on the mouth.

**~ SCORPION ~**

Walter froze the moment Paige yanked him down for a searing kiss; it was something he certainly wasn't expecting, but he didn't want her to stop. For reasons unknown to him, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer to him as she molded her lips and her tongue against his. However, against all rational thought, he didn't think she was close enough; he wanted her closer. As Paige hooked her arms around his neck and continued to kiss him feverishly, both of them teetered backwards and hit the bed before falling onto the mattress. Walter landed on top of her, and while he didn't understand half of the things his body clearly wanted with the woman underneath him, everything felt, strangely, natural.

Paige's fingers crawled from his hair to his back and clawed at him the moment her legs wrapped around his hips as he pushed against her. She brought her lips to his ear and muttered all of the things she wanted to do to him as he continued to rock against her pelvis; she pulled at his shirt and tugged it over his head before peeling off her own shirt and tossing it to the floor. After he had claimed her wet lips again, she unbuckled his jeans and pushed them down with her foot.

Her skirt was the next to go.

And then her bra.

And then his boxers.

And after he nearly ripped off her panties, he looked into her dark brown, glossy eyes and pushed his belly against hers, wanting her to know just how much she meant to him. He wasn't great with words, but maybe…, just maybe…, he could show her instead.

**~ SCORPION ~**

By dawn, Walter and Paige were still very much awake; they never slept. They didn't want to; they didn't need to. As Walter pulled Paige closer to him with their arms and legs already clinging onto each other in their upright position on the bed, she remembered her main reason for coming to the garage in the first place. She realized Drew had no right to tell her to pack up and leave LA for their son's safety; Ralph wasn't Drew's son. Not really. She remembered the words Walter had said several weeks back, saying something along the lines of fathers being more than biology. If Drew wanted a relationship with Ralph, location shouldn't matter. He should want to visit Ralph no matter where the boy lives.

Paige tightened her legs around Walter and pulled her lips away from the base of his neck, needing to tell the man she loved of her sudden decision to stay in LA, but when his mouth found her pointed nipple, she quickly forgot everything she wanted to say and only wanted more of _every damn thing _he was doing to her. She was putty in his hands, and God, she loved him. She loved him so much; there wasn't a single question in her feelings for the man making love to her, and she knew, even though he didn't express it in so many words, that he loved her. The way he touched her…, kissed her…, licked her…, fondled her… told her everything she needed to know.

It was now nine in the morning, and they heard voices in the lower level of the garage; Toby was calling for Walter, and his voice was drawing near. Paige and Walter jumped off of each other, and the young mother scrambled for her clothes, but she didn't have time to put them on. Thinking quickly, she bolted for the bathroom.

**~ SCORPION ~**

The moment Paige scrambled to the bathroom, Walter threw on his jeans and slipped his wrinkled shirt over his head as Toby walked into his bedroom, unannounced.

"Didn't you hear me calling for you?" Toby raised an eyebrow with his hands on his hips.

"No." Walter lied. "What do you want?"

"Crabby much?" Toby blinked and then said, "I just came up here to tell you Ralph is downstairs. Cabe dropped him off and thought it would be best if he didn't come in. I saw Paige's car in the alley; is she here?"

Walter tried to play it cool. "No. Nope. Not here. No, she's not here. Not up here at all. If she was here, I would know; after all, this _is _my bedroom." He quickly realized how much he sucked at playing it cool. "P-Perhaps she's in the bathroom downstairs."

"Nope." Toby shook his head and then glanced over towards the bathroom door. He smirked, and Walter gulped. Walter slowly looked towards the bathroom and spotted Paige's white lacy bra on the floor. Damn. "Why, you sly dog."

"It's not what it looks like," Walter gulped. Actually, it was _exactly _what it looked like.

"Oh?" Toby lifted his eyebrows. "So… the bra is yours?"

"What? No." Walter didn't know what Toby was implying. "It's not."

"I didn't think so." Toby chuckled as he picked up the lacy undergarment and examined it. Walter quickly walked up to him and snatched it out of his hand. "Possessive, much?"

"Go." Walter pointed towards the loft. "Now."

Toby shrugged and laughed. "Happy and Megan owe me $100 each!"

Suddenly, Paige's head popped out of the bathroom. "You betted on us!?"

"Oh, I so did!" Toby beamed and locked his hands behind his head. "Easiest money I've won in my life." Walter was just about to throw him out of his room when Toby started walking away, singing, "Walter and Paige, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I – Ow!" Toby spun around and picked up the shoe Walter had thrown at him, "What the hell!?" Walter shot him a glare, and his eyes popped open. "Going. Going. Going. And Gone!" Toby had never left the loft so fast.

Walter dropped Paige's bra and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Now everybody will know."

"Well…, at least we won't have to sneak around," Paige smirked as she pulled him into the bathroom and popped open his shirt. Several buttons flew everywhere. "I'll replace that." As he slid off his shirt, she worked at his jeans and then led him to the shower where all they had was lots of sex underneath the pouring, hot water.

**~ SCORPION ~**

"We _should _go downstairs…." Paige muttered as she turned her head slightly and reached up to caress Walter's cheek. After an hour in the shower, they made their way back to the bed for some sleep. It was almost eleven. When he didn't say anything, she climbed on top of him and hooked her arms around his neck. "Hey, did you hear me?"

He finally spoke. "You and Ralph are going to be late…."

She smiled. "Going to Portland went out the window hours ago."

"So…," Walter met her gaze, "you're not going?"

"No. We're not going." She said quietly before giving him a light kiss on the lips.

He smirked. "Drew won't like that."

"Well…, Drew can kiss my ass if he thinks he can just tell me how to parent my son. Ralph is _my _son. Not his. If he can't deal with it, then… that's his problem." She placed another soft kiss against his mouth. "Los Angeles is where my life is… where _Ralph's _life is." She slid off of him and wrapped the loose sheets around her body. "I should call him and tell him we're not going." She searched for her skirt and pulled her forgotten phone out of her pocket. There were a few texts from Ralph, asking her when she was coming home; she felt guilty for not calling him. There was also four missed calls from Drew. Paige walked back to the bed with her phone in hand and climbed up next to Walter. She didn't lie down though; she rested her back against the cold headboard and dialed Drew's number. "He's going to be so pissed."

Three rings rang into her ear, and by the fourth ring, he answered. _"About damn time you called me back." _

"You're lucky I called at all," Paige frowned and pushed her hair back. She knew another argument was on its way. "…especially after all of the horrible things you said last night."

"_I wouldn't have said them unless they were true," _Drew snapped.

"Look. I didn't call to argue." Paige didn't feel like starting a wasteful conversation. "I came to tell you Ralph and I aren't going to Portland. I've made up my mind, and we're staying in LA."

"_Ralph isn't safe around __**them**__._"Drew spat. _"He almost lost his life, and you're still going to let him hang around those four idiots?" _

"Drew. They're not idiots, and yes. One mistake doesn't erase all of the good Scorpion has done. They all adore Ralph, and Ralph adores them; it would be wrong to take him out of an environment where he could meet his full potential. I know you're angry, but Ralph isn't your son, Drew. He's mine. I get to decide what's best for him; not you."

Paige knew Walter was listening. His knuckles were white, and she knew he was doing his best to restrain himself from grabbing the phone and putting Drew in his place; part of her wished he would go through with it, but she was grateful he was behaving himself.

"_I think your reasons of wanting to stay in LA have a lot more to do with you fucking your damn boss than what's best for Ralph." _Drew's words felt like bullets piercing Paige's skin. _"My parents were right; you are nothing but a fucking whore, and I can't believe I didn't see it before." _

"If that's how you really feel," Paige inhaled a deep breath, "then I don't want you around my son – ever again." Without another word, she ended the call and tossed her phone to the side. "Sorry you had to listen to all of that," Paige turned to Walter before lightly kissing his lips.

"I'm actually glad I did." Walter said as Paige leaned her head against his shoulder. "By the end of the day, he won't be able to contact you or Ralph anymore; I'll be sure of it."

Paige smiled. "You're too kind."

"Oh, I can do a lot worse. I can freeze his assets and basically eradicate his entire online existence too – that'll keep him grounded in Portland for quite a while." Walter's eyes lit up; he was practically begging her to let him off his leash. She laughed.

"Keep that second idea on the backburner for now; if he tries something in the future, erase to your heart's content, but I think blocking him from our phones is punishment enough." Paige poked his nose as her stomach growled. "Aaaand I think that's my cue to get dressed and go downstairs for lunch." She hopped off the bed and gathered her clothes. Both of them finally dressed for the day and made themselves look as presentable as possible before heading for the stairs.

**~ SCORPION ~**

"Mom," Ralph walked up to his mother after lunch and blinked. "I thought you said we were going to Portland today. Not that I'm complaining, but why are we still here?" He then glanced at Walter who was sitting rather close to his mother on the sofa next to Proton Arnold.

"Well," His mom leaned forward and ruffled his hair, "We're not going…."

"Really?!" Ralph beamed. He didn't want to go to Portland; it was too cold and wet. As much as he would like to see his dad again, he would rather stay in LA where he could be with his friends.

"Don't sound too excited," his mother laughed and poked his nose.

"So is Dad going to be visiting us instead?" Ralph asked, wondering what sort of compromise his mother had to make with his father in order for his father to let them stay in LA.

His mother's face fell as she reached for his hands and squeezed them. "Actually… no."

"Why not?" Ralph didn't understand. His mom and Walter exchanged looks. "He's not coming back, is he?"

"No." Paige's voice was soft, and it cracked. "He's not."

Walter suddenly jumped into the conversation. "Don't blame yourself, buddy. The reason your dad isn't coming back has nothing to do with you, Ralph."

"Then why?"

"He's," his mother paused, "your dad just isn't someone I want in our lives right now…."

"Is it because of his temper?" Ralph wasn't blind nor deaf. He overheard his mother's conversation with his father the other night. His father had said some mean things about Scorpion and about Walter. Ralph just thought his father was having a temper tantrum – something that would eventually pass with time.

"Yes," was the only thing his mother would say, and he knew he wasn't going to get any more information on the subject.

"Okay." Ralph nodded and then walked off to play Proton Arnold.

**~ SCORPION ~**

"Really? That's it?" Paige blinked as she watched her son quickly absorb the information of his father never coming back and walk away like it was nothing. "That was… easier than I thought."

"He's dealing with it in his own way," Walter shrugged as they both watched the boy play Proton Arnold.

"I guess so." Paige linked her fingers with Walter's and lightly kissed his lips.

"What was that for?" Walter muttered as she pulled away from him.

Paige smiled and whispered, "It's good to be home," before hooking her arms around his neck and bringing her lips to his.

**~ SCORPION ~**

Walter forgot about the rest of the world as Paige kissed him; it was refreshing to be able to turn off his IQ and focus on the woman in his arms. All of his problems seemed to disappear when he was with Paige, and he realized that if she could make things better for him, then maybe it might be worth trying to give Cabe another chance. Everything Walter saw in Paige was pure goodness, and so…, if she still trusted Cabe, Walter was willing to try making amends with the man. For Paige, he would be willing to do anything (within reason).

As Paige's tongue found his, he heard Toby whistling in the background. He almost tore away from her, but she kissed him harder so he tried to ignore the shrink. Then he heard Happy curse and mutter something about owing Toby a wad of cash. Sylvester made grimacing noises.

"You know," Toby's voice filled the room, "In case your EQ has been wiped out since your recent sexual liaison with the liaison…," Toby chuckled as Paige quickly told Walter to ignore him. "I don't mind doing you a favor Walt and dropping by the pharmacy to pick you up some Viagra for later."

And as Paige continued pressing hot kisses against Walter's mouth, he rose his fist and gave the shrink the middle finger.

**~ SCORPION ~**

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**WriterFreak001: **

This one-shot certainly didn't end up like I thought it would; I hope it didn't seem all over the place. I had one idea for it, and then it kind of morphed into a bigger idea, and then I was like: Naaaah; I'll keep it as a one-shot.

Love or hate, let me know what you think! I hope the characters weren't OOC for you.


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